Chapter 141:The Curse 2.

The last ashes of the once bright sky have burned away, leaving the silver moon to rule all beneath the heavens and silence to fall upon these lands. 

"That something has stung me!"

Gathered in Kaede's small house are all the characters from Inuyasha's group, plus Asahiko who is stroking her chin and Kaede who has just arrived. 

"I couldn't notice anything though, both before and now."

Going back to checking Kagome's bitten leg, according to her, Sango doesn't seem to find anything, though she doesn't seem willing to leave it as wishful thinking either. 

"Maybe that yokai doesn't cause physical injury but pain?"

"Wouldn't that be the strangest thing I'd ever seen in my life?"

"Your Excellency, everything has a reason for happening. Inuyasha, let me see those papers."

Stopping Shippo and Miroku's thoughts, the elder Kaede walks up to Inuyasha and takes the papers he shows her. 

While that is going on back there, Shippo agrees with Kagome about what he promised to bring, causing them to start handing out gifts for everyone in a few moments.

First it went to Shippo who could no longer contain himself, then he hit the distracted Inuyasha and then began to hand out to Sango, Asahiko and Miroku. 

"It's about a Shikigami."

"Agh, ah, ah, I almost died."

Letting Miroku hit his back to let out what almost killed him by drowning, Asahiko quickly looks around for any danger and finally lets out a sigh when he sees none. 

"What's wrong, Asahiko?"

"Nothing, nothing... Just some unpleasant memories with those things."

Gulping in air from the surroundings, Asahiko erases any worries and goes back to eating from Kagome's gift. 

"I've never seen him like this before, what did Kikyo do to him?"

"Hush, Shippo, you don't want to be targeted by him later."

"Sango is right, better to keep quiet than to be forced to keep quiet."

The amusement of these three, Shippo, Sango and Miroku, is shattered when they notice Kagome's face turn brutally serious. 

Quickly they all made their concern known, even Asahiko who was playing dead moments ago. 

"The, the... The shards have gone dark."

*Crack*

In a few moments and under the shocked gaze of everyone present, the glass bottle in which Kagome always carries her shards explodes and they shoot out towards her. 

"Kagome!"

"Wake up, Kagome!"

"Move, move, make way!"

Pushing aside those who threw themselves on top of Kagome as soon as she hit the ground, Asahiko makes his way over and behind him Kaede approaches. 

"What do you think, Kaede, can it be related to that strange occurrence?"

"It is most likely, Your Excellency, this seems to be a curse. Asahiko, can you do something about the corruption in those shards?"

"I will try."

Maintaining an expression rarely would be on him, Asahiko brings his hand up to Kagome's neck, the place where the darkened fragments of the pearl were embedded. 

A pink glow begins to spread from beneath his palm, while Kagome's face seems to regain color. Such a situation does not last long, as in a few moments that light changes to a dark one and Kagome's expression twists in pain. 

"I can't, the 'Evil' doesn't seem to come from these shards themselves, but they are used as a means. If I continue to struggle in a tug-of-war inside Kagome's body…"

"From what you say it's almost certainly a curse, very few can pull something like that off."

"Using the shards as a medium, even obscuring them. Only someone like Naraku could do that."

It's not a far-fetched theory, Miroku's, but something logical if we consider that Naraku has most of the shards and is the one who has managed to obscure a pearl shard first. 

"Never mind that now, who could do this to Kagome! Elder Kaede, you know something, don't you?"

"Using shikigami and curses, it can only be a dark priestess. Someone versed in hexes and dealings with demons."

Briefly relating what a dark priestess is for those who don't know, Kaede seems to fall into some thoughts of her own, leaving the whole thing silent. 

"Come with me, Sango, Asahiko, we must defeat that dark priestess."

"Count me in, Your Excellency."

"And with me, since we'll have to teach Naraku a little manners if he shows up."

Rising behind Miroku, both Sango and Asahiko are in full agreement to go on the attack.

"I'm going too, so I can rip Naraku's head off for doing this!"

"Tsk, just sit there, you do better staying here with her."

"Asahiko has a point, Inuyasha. We're more than enough to take care of everything, besides Miss Kagome needs you!"

Gritting his teeth tightly, Inuyasha shares a look with Miroku and Asahiko, before the three of them nod slowly. It was obvious that there was a lot of trust behind a simple gesture, getting everyone's hackles up. 

...Christopher/Asahiko pov…

Already being outside the wooden house and being accompanied by both Kaede and Shippo, I see how Miroku closes his eyes and then begins to feel the surroundings. 

Sometimes he shakes his head, sometimes he frowns and sometimes he just walks on by without paying attention, those actions end when he finally opens his eyes quickly. 

"Over there, I can feel the same evil energy!"

"Come up quickly, Your Excellency."

"I'll follow behind."

Without spending time on pleasantries or anything like that, he let Miroku and Sango open the distance with Kirara, before starting to run after them. It's not that I'm using them as an advance guard, it's just that I'm faster than them and Miroku is the guide on this mission. 

We made quite a few twists and turns during the trip, at least I did, since Kirara can fly. The important thing is that we finally made it to a huge blue energy field, a place where Miroku doesn't stop. 

"Stop, Miroku!"

"What's wrong, Asahiko? I can feel evil energy coming from there."

"Can't you see... There's a huge force field. Moon shape:Crescent."

Moving my fan upward, it let out a small number of flaming slashes and managed to make the barrier appear as a result of the attack. 

"It's huge... How can there be such a large force field?"

"That doesn't matter, Your Excellency. We have to go in, the longer we delay the worse the situation will be."

"Yes it is, let me do the honors~"

Speaking happily since I finally found where to unleash my anger, he grabbed the hilt of Cloudy Fang and slowly unsheathed it. 

"Stand aside, ready~ Now!"

Taking a safe distance and waiting for the two of them to do so as well, I begin to let the energy flow through Clouded Fang's blade. 

This begins to ooze a reddish liquid that tinges the dream, it wasn't a liquid per se but energy in high concentration. Satisfied with the amount, I raised the blade into the air and made a forward slash. 

*¡Boooooom!*

A shrill noise spreads through the surroundings, as nearby trees fall to pieces and a wave of dust covers the surroundings. 

Obviously this should not have happened, I am not hitting something solid, it is pure energy. I mean, it can only happen that the force field is cut off or absorbs my attack, it can't possibly explode. 

"I wish I didn't have to see you again."

"Oh, but yes it's not the mimic, are you even an appetizer? I actually don't mind having a little fun with you before I come in~"

Casually conversing with the one who comes out from inside the barrier, I notice how other figures still remain behind, though I still keep my attention on Kagura. 

"What an interesting offer, but don't you think you should ask her first? I don't want to seem like the third wheel in the relationship."

"I'm a free soul, I'm sure... She's after me, isn't she?"

Turning mechanically to look back, the first thing that enters my senses are the sounds of footsteps on the grass and followed by that Kikyo's expressionless face. 

"You can keep talking quietly, Asahiko. Don't pay attention to me, I'm only going to keep doing what I came here to do."

"Ha ha... weren't you doing something important?"

"I was merely passing by, but something here is calling me."

Downplaying her current situation, Kikyo begins to move forward ignoring everyone nearby, until she finally stops when petals stab in front of her. 

"You weren't part of the plan, but I will certainly enjoy ripping that icy mask off your beautiful face."

"You again? I see Naraku has gathered quite a pack of dogs this time."

"Silence woman, I only serve Lord Menōmaru!"

Who appears from inside the barrier is Hari, she is still the same as always, proud and not at all modest. 

"Now I think you should start following me, you don't want something bad to happen to this."

"The pearl!"

"Kirara, attack!"

Being surprised as Kagura pulls the pearl from inside her robes, the excitement disappears as I watch Sango and Miroku get bombarded by crescent shaped slashes. 

"Did they manage to survive? No matter, with the next attack I will finish them off."

"That technique is like Asahiko's."

"It's not similar, it's the same."

For anyone wondering the one coming out now is Ruri, the dirty skill impersonator and another follower of that moth guy. 

"What predicament we find ourselves in~ do we choose or do we stay like this?"

"I don't think they'll let us choose who to fight, Asahiko."

"I've already defeated her once, another one is just like playing."

Miroku is right, while Kikyo is full of confidence, though she usually acts like this when she encounters Naraku and Inuyasha... A self defense system. God what does it matter, it's time for the fight.